property house marketing

Today marks the beginning of Lent and rather than giving up chocolate, here at PHM we’ve decided to look at the bad habits worth banishing when writing copy, from press releases to social media posts.

Here are three ways to ensure your written content is second to none:

Cut the waffle

It’s important to keep your content concise without compromising on quality. It’s tempting to provide as much information as possible, but in a time-poor day and age, journalists and followers alike are keen to get to the heart of a story quickly.

Don’t be lazy

It’s easy to repeatedly churn out the same content, and although consistent messaging and brand recognition is important, it’s also vital to keep things current and fresh. Your level of engagement is more likely to increase if you tailor copy to your audience and have something new to say.

An eye for errors

Checking for spelling and grammatical mistakes may seem an obvious part of writing formal copy, but this is just as important when it comes to social media which provides another opportunity to promote your brand. Colloquial language is common across platforms such as Twitter, however there is no excuse for poorly structured content; attention to detail and errorless posts make for a more credible company.

If you’d like to talk to PHM about a bespoke approach to your PR requirements, call us on 01483 561119 or email info@housegroup.co.uk.

2017 could well be the year that the property market started to go into reverse – after years of rising house prices, the lack of affordable housing isn’t just affecting those who are struggling to get onto the property ladder, but also those trying to sell their homes in London and the South East as the pool of possible buyers shrinks.

But what of PR? The past 12 months have seen a real shift in the way businesses communicate. Political leaders have been taking social media matters into their own hands, taking responsibility for their own digital marketing as opposed to hiding behind a slick team of experts. Sometimes it works, as the UK election campaign is anything to go by, and sometimes (no need to mention names), the results are highly controversial. The ethics of communications have also been pushed into the spotlight this year as one of the largest and most well-know PR firms in the world found itself in the center of a scandal, perhaps casting doubt on the reputation of an industry that often exists to protect reputations.

However, the need for consistent, strong and transparent communications remains vital. Efficient and effective PR management and guidance plays a dual role – simultaneously sharing the story and considering the risks. Great PR will see your message distributed to your target audiences cautiously but confidently, ensuring that the perception of your product in the minds of your stakeholders is unshakeably positive.

Times may well be a changin’, but PR remains central to a successful communications strategy and will continue to be so, especially if the waters get choppy.

Its been a busy year, for us and for the property industry; we very much look forward to seeing what 2018 will bring but until then, Merry Christmas!

With the festive season drawing in, a time synonymous with parties and entertaining, we’ve put together a roundup of homes which all benefit from beautifully designed open-plan living spaces and a range of unique features ideal for entertaining guests.

West House is a five bedroom, 5000 sq. ft. home in the secluded Surrey Hills location of South Holmwood, near Dorking. Featuring sublime proportions, this light and airy property was made for entertaining. The kitchen, dining room, drawing room, family room and entrance hall all have underfloor heating, floor to ceiling windows and large terraces, making this home the ideal party pad, plus the separate kitchenette can be used for catering dinner parties. The seller is also willing to pay the stamp duty, saving the buyer thousands.

This five-bedroom, three-bathroom family home in Shere, Surrey (where classic Christmas film, The Holiday, was filmed) is set within a 0.9 acre plot with stunning views over the adjoining farmland and surrounding hills. Internally, the home comprises a vaulted entrance hall, drawing room, dining room, family room and study- so there’s plenty of room for entertaining guests.The drawing room boasts a cosy energy efficient wood burner which releases heat slowly through its cast iron shell, providing the perfect retreat at the end of the night. Externally, Shere View House benefits from a private gravelled driveway with space for eight cars, a detached ancillary accommodation with mezzanine level, kitchenette and bathroom as well as a detached heritage barn style garage, car port and garden/machinery store with a beautifully landscaped front garden.

Prices for a one-bedroom apartment start from £895,000 and two-bedroom apartments from £1,220,000, developed by Berkeley Homes

Stylish and modern, Vista combines remarkable architecture, cosmopolitan homes and an irresistible London location – close to both the river and the greenery of Battersea Park. All of the apartments deliver private outside space in the form of a glass-fronted balcony, wraparound terrace or winter garden; with many offering beautiful views across Battersea Park or the iconic power station, a perfect backdrop to an evening of entertaining. Residents can burn off those extra calories after a night or two of indulgence in the luxury leisure suite which features a vitality pool, state-of-the-art gym and sauna.

If you’re a property developer or an estate agent looking to maximize coverage for your homes in the press and on social media, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team to discuss how we can help, on 01483 561119 or email info@housegroup.co.uk.

The WhatHouse? Awards is always a highlight in the property calendar, and for us it was a particularly brilliant way to round off the year, as 12 of the 21 entries we prepared on behalf of our clients scooped a prize at this year’s ceremony. A whopping six of those entries won gold, and Berkeley Group went on to take home Housebuilder of the Year 2017 – the overall prize of the night, picked from that year’s submitted entries.

Our clients won the following prizes at the ceremony:

Gold

Berkeley Group for Best Large Housebuilder of the Year & overall Housebuilder of the Year

As always, it’s been a busy year for PHM writing and designing the WhatHouse? Award entries, and we were absolutely thrilled to celebrate our clients’ success at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Friday 17 November.

Awards are a brilliant tool for marketing and promotion, offering a respected third-party endorsement as well as the prestige of industry recognition. If you’re considering entering awards next year for a development or project of which you’re particularly proud but not sure where to start, speak to the PHM team today on 01483 561119.

PR reporting is an interesting topic, one which often divides PR professionals and wider communications teams. At PHM, we don’t think that any one way is the best way, but believe that our clients have different needs, different objectives, and therefore require different measurables.

Marketers, quite rightly, want to see quantifiable results for the work they do. They are able to measure content with numbers, very neatly, both digitally and on paper. This is a lot harder to achieve with PR, when the real value is often found in a quick phone conversation to find out what’s appearing in the property supplement at a national paper that weekend, or in knowing where a journalist likes to have coffee.

The industry has used many methods to measure its output and evaluate its results over the years. More traditional methods include AVE, which measures the size and prominence of a piece of coverage in a particular publication or online channel, and seeks to show the value of editorial versus paid-for content. To many, a positive piece of coverage in a weekend broadsheet, accompanied by a high-quality picture, is proof enough. To other clients, a more tailored approach is required, and we’ve been known to build our own evaluative models, based on point systems and key criteria, allowing us to work out where any gaps might be over time.

However we do it, we know that we need to do it in a way that fits the wider marketing objectives of our clients, and allows for a full, comprehensive picture of communications activity across the board. That’s why, as with all of our work, we take a bespoke approach; for PR reporting, one size certainly doesn’t fit all.

It was a successful evening at the Building Awards on Thursday 7 November, as it saw our client Berkeley Group win the prestigious Housebuilder of the Year award, which we prepared earlier this year.

A highly anticipated date in the property calendar, The Building Awards are the industry’s longest running recognition of excellence, and allow companies across all aspects of building to have their achievements held up as an example to the sector. As always, it was a great night hosted by Building magazine.

We’re also looking forward to attending the WhatHouse? Awards later this month, where we’ll be excitedly awaiting the results for the 21 entries we prepared on behalf of our clients this year.

Awards are a brilliant tool for marketing and promotion, offering a respected third-party endorsement as well as the prestige of industry recognition. If you’re unsure about the effectiveness of a tailor-made award entry, take a look at our blog, ‘Three reasons why awards are a valuable addition to your marketing strategy’, to see just how valuable they can be for your business’ marketing strategy.

If you’ve worked on a project or development of which you are particularly proud, and would like to find out more about our awards writing and design service, call the PHM team now on 01483 561119.

New on Property House Marketing’s books this month is this bespoke six-bedroom, four-storey house in Guildford, comprising over 6500 sq. ft., and benefitting from an enviable elevated position just a few yards from the North Downs in Surrey.

Alongside its picturesque views across the Downs and convenient location – just a 21-minute walk to Guildford train station – the sense of space at Northdowns Heights is what sets it apart from the rest. The home’s expansive living areas are designed not just for family living but for entertaining on a large scale too, with floor-to-ceiling glazing opening onto the rear terrace and extending this space in warmer weather.

The hub of the house is undoubtedly the sitting, dining and kitchen space, where each area is clearly defined and the dining and sitting rooms afford extensive views to the front and over the rear garden respectively. From the dining area, doors also open onto a large terrace from which the fabulous view over the Surrey Hills can be enjoyed over a morning coffee. There is also a formal dining room and study.

The leisure and entertaining space doesn’t stop there; on the lower ground floor there is a large gym and shower room as well as a media room that includes a fun bar area.

Externally, the expertise of award-winning landscape architect Kevin Murphy is clearly evident; his imaginative yet intuitive design of the rear garden uses a multi-layer approach, making the most of the space by creating distinctive, separate areas and providing a stunning backdrop for the home.

Northdowns Heights is on the market for £3.5m. For more information, or to arrange an appointment to view the property, please contact Hill Clements (01483 300300) or email info@hillclements.com.

Forget the gunpowder this 5th November, how can you make your press releases and pitches go off with a bang? Here at Property House Marketing, we don’t think that one size fits all, but there are definitely a few tricks (and treats) that continue to boost the success of your content and cut through the myriad of information that hits a journalist’s inbox every day.

Find your hook

It doesn’t matter how beautiful your new build home is, if it doesn’t have a story attached to it, it isn’t news. Think to yourself, why would a national property supplement want to use this particular home over all others? Make it part of the wider agenda to make it relevant. This is especially important in the digital age. Twitter is good for market research – use trending hashtags to be part of the bigger picture and reach a new audience.

Keep it brief

We appreciate there is plenty to say, and it’s great to give some detail. However, think about your own inbox. What catches your attention? It isn’t paragraphs and paragraphs of writing, that’s for sure. A couple of pictures will show off your product, and a list of bullets can provide some quick info, but treat this as your elevator pitch, and keep it brief.

What have you got, what makes it different/interesting/newsworthy, and why would a journalist want to write about it?

No need to shout

Capital letters in the subject line of an email don’t make you stand out, but they can make your beautifully-crafted content look like junk mail. What’s your USP, and what will appeal to the journalist? This should be your introduction. See above.

If you’re looking for someone to prepare you the press content that creates fireworks, give us a call on 01483 561119 or email info@housegroup.co.uk.

A collection of three and four-bedroom townhouses by Lovell Homes; all homes are available to purchase with London Help to Buy

Prices start from £474,995 for a three-bedroom townhouse

Clever trick: The high ceilings (2.5 metres) in the four-bedroom townhouses create a drastic sense of space that can be hard to find

Treat: All of the townhouses are available to purchase through London Help to Buy, which means just a five per cent deposit is required, and the Government lends 40% towards the purchase price, interest free for the first five years, so only a mortgage for the remaining 55% needs to be arranged

As the nights are drawing in and the cold weather fast approaching, we have picked a couple of our favourite homes perfect for the season, complete with cosy living rooms and fireplaces to smart, energy-efficient features to save on those winter bills.

Shere View House is a five-bedroom, three-bathroom family home set within a 0.9 acre plot with stunning views over the adjoining farmland and surrounding hills. Internally, the home comprises a vaulted entrance hall, drawing room, dining room, family room, study, pantry and boot room. The drawing room features a cosy energy-efficient wood burner, which releases heat slowly through its cast-iron shell. Detached ancillary accommodation is set in the beautifully-landscaped gardens, featuring a mezzanine level, kitchenette and bathroom as well as a detached heritage barn-style garage, car port and garden/machinery store.

Northdowns Heights is a beautiful four-storey family home of approximately 6,000 sq ft with extensive and truly spectacular views. It is ideally situated on a very popular residential road within walking distance of Guildford’s high street and train station (journey times to London Waterloo from around35 mins) and just a few yards from stunning countryside walks in the Surrey Hills. There is underfloor heating throughout with many hidden energy-efficient features including copper-pipe work and a sophisticated heat-recovery system. The home incorporates impressive entertaining space including a fitness suite, media room and bar on the lower ground floor; a drawing room, large family sitting/dining/kitchen with large bi-fold doors which open onto a large balcony to the front, and garden terrace at the rear.

If you’re an estate agent looking to maximize coverage for your homes in press and on social media, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team, to discuss how we can help, on 01483 561119 or email info@housegroup.co.uk.